Monday, December 21, 2015

If you’ve ever been told, “We’re sorry, we really liked you and it was a very difficult decision, but we ended up going with a slightly more qualified candidate,” you know that it’s not a great feeling. You can drive yourself crazy wondering, “What did the winning job-seeker say or do to gain that slight edge over me to land the job?”

Or perhaps you did manage to beat out every other candidate and receive an offer, but weren’t able to negotiate the salary that you wanted. What could you have said to earn what you truly deserve?

Fortunately, there’s a simple framework and phrase to keep in mind that might give you the extra edge you need. Not only will you distinguish yourself from the competition when looking for a job, but you’ll also be able to negotiate a higher salary when you get the offer or ask for a raise.

In fact, I just demonstrated it in the last paragraph!

The framework is: Not only this… but that…

If you were to write it out as a formula, it might look like this:

“Not only do I have [all the standard requirements that everyone else has] + but I also possess [the following unique traits that make me a better candidate and worth more money].”

Thursday, December 17, 2015

CAMBRIDGE – How should one evaluate the agreement reached in Paris this month at the United Nations climate change conference? No sooner was the deal announced on December 12 than the debate erupted.

Some avid environmentalists were disappointed that the agreement did not commit firmly to limiting global warming to 1.5º Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2050.

But such a commitment would not have been credible. What emerged in Paris was in fact better, because the negotiators were able to agree on practical steps in the right direction. Individual countries pledged to limit their emissions in the near term, with provisions for future monitoring and periodic reviews of targets. This is far better than setting lofty goals for the distant future while giving little reason to think that they would be met. The important thing is to get started.